Of Scars and Slugs

Truth Revealed, Hearts Aligned

 Lilly opens the door and is greeted by her friend Astrus. The taller woman has her hands hidden behind her back. "Um..Hi, Astrus?

Astrus smiles, "So, I might've told Junjie you like him." Lily's eye narrows at the woman before her. "But before you get mad, hear me out. I feel like he needed to know. You both have a past that you can learn from, and it's best if you two talk about what happened before making any finals decisions." She brings a hand out from behind her back, "Here, I found this Memento Mori slug the other day, I figure you'd need him more than me."

Lily cautiously hold the small black slug in her hands. "I'm not going to forgive you for telling him, no matter if you give me a slug or not. Just saying."

"Yeah, yeah, I understand." Astrus' ear twitches slightly, "Oh, what a coincidence here he comes. Try using this slug on him, okay? Go to the crystal cavern and use him there. You'll understand why." Astrus pulls a Shadow Walker orb from the pouch on her hip. "Gotta go, see ya, Lily!" and in a puff of black smoke, Astrus is gone.

Lily sighs and shakes her head. The memento mori slug peering up at her, it's silver eyes silently asking her what's wrong. She shakes her head before grabbing the rest of her slugs. "Come on, we're going on a trip."

"Ah, Miss Lily," Junjie starts, a small smile on his face, "I was just coming to see you."

"Hello, Junjie." She forces a polite smile. If what Astrus said was true - which is probably was knowing her - then he's here to most likely turn her down.

"I see Miss Astrus was here already, is that the slug she was going to give you?"

Lily nods, "Yes, his name is...Mori."

Junjie hums. "It is a very fitting name."

"Hey...um...do you have time to go to this cavern Astrus showed me a while back? It's really pretty."

"Yes, I would love to." Lily nods and leads the way to the cavern filled with reflective crystals, just as she was told.

~

The two individuals walk into the shimmering cavern. Crystals of varying colors and shades line the walls and ceiling. The faint chittering of wild slugs softly echoes from the hidden crevices of the area. Junjie walks ahead of the woman, inspecting the crystals up close. Mori stirs inside his castor that hangs on Lily's bandoleer. She feels her fingers twitch.

Was she really going to do this?

Is this the only option hse has?

What if Astrus was just joking, she probably didn't tell him.

Right...?

With a shaky inhale, Lily reaches for Mori's castor, her left hand reaching for her blaster. She hasn't needed to use it in so long, it feels foreign in her one masterful hands. Carefully she load the castor into the chamber. She rests her left hand on her right palm as she steadies her aim. Mori chitters anxiously from his place in the blaster. Maybe he feels her uncertainty on the matter, but is trying his best to be supportive. This isn't going to hurt him.

But morally this can't be right.

Junjie turns to face her, his eyes harden when he sees the blaster pointed at him. He looks softens when he sees the nervousness in her form. How her hands are shaking despite her best efforts to keep them steady. Her slugs are silent, aside from the Memento Mori slug that's loaded. He stands fully to his height, folding his arms behind his back.

"I see that Astrus has told you what to do. You don't want to, it seems?"

Lily just shakes her head.